Physics or Engineering?

[Skyler4856]

I have recently graduated from high school, and I shall soon be faced with a choice regarding my Major. I am at a crossroads where I must decide between either studying Physics, and later going into particle physics, or studying Engineering, and then focus on Aerospace engineering. Ive decided that these forums sound like a decent enough place to seek advice, and implore you to aid me in this decision.

Here are a few desires of mine

-Ability to study ground breaking work, in a professional manner

-Work with smaller groups, or even individually

-Autonomy when it comes to subject of study

One item that isn't a major concern is pay, Ideally I'm payed just enough to live at a comfortable level...

Thank you for reading this, and please aid me in this decision...

Edited August 21, 2014 by Skyler4856

[razark]

What exactly is "Aerospace engineering"?

All the engineers that I deal with are classed as "aerospace" engineers, without regard to what their education actually is. My father was an electrical engineer by education, but he later had to learn at least the basics of mechanical and chemical engineering as well. I'm just wondering what "aerospace engineer" means in the outside world.

[Skyler4856]

What exactly is "Aerospace engineering"?

All the engineers that I deal with are classed as "aerospace" engineers, without regard to what their education actually is. My father was an electrical engineer by education, but he later had to learn at least the basics of mechanical and chemical engineering as well. I'm just wondering what "aerospace engineer" means in the outside world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerospace_engineering

[astropapi1]

I'm gonna study engineering too!

My plan is to get a degree in mechanical engineering, and then go for a PhD in aerospace.

From my (very limited) perspective, it seems like you'll make most of the groundbreaking work as a physicist, discovering new stuff, but you'll get to design cool stuff and develop new techniques for making it as an engineer.

I might be wrong, though. I'm still fairly new to this "life" thing.

Edited August 21, 2014 by astropapi1

[Seret]

The main distinction between the two is going to be whether you want to stay in academia or not. There are physicists in the private sector and engineers in universities, but generally your career is more likely to be the other way around.

[Red Iron Crown]

A simple litmus test: When calculating something, do you prefer to approximate pi or leave it as pi in your answer?

If you approximate it, go for engineering.

If you leave it as pi, go for physics.

[Seret]

Dunno about that,I think most engineers like to keep it simple, which is why we work in radians for rotation. You'll see pi used a lot. Nobody calculates anything by hand, and calculators have a pi button.

I get your point though, engineers have to get comfortable with approximation and learn how and when use it. The most common approximation I think you'll see is rough values of gravity, 9.8 being perfectly good enough for many purposes.

[Red Iron Crown]

Dunno about that,I think most engineers like to keep it simple, which is why we work in radians for rotation. You'll see pi used a lot. Nobody calculates anything by hand, and calculators have a pi button.

I get your point though, engineers have to get comfortable with approximation and learn how and when use it. The most common approximation I think you'll see is rough values of gravity, 9.8 being perfectly good enough for many purposes.

I meant in the answer, not the calculation.

E.g. What is the area of a circle with a radius of 4?

Engineer: ~50.26

Physicist/Mathermatician: 16pi

[Seret]

Lol, probably true then. I'm reminded of joke #5 on this page:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/billykangas/2014/03/20-jokes-for-nerds.html

[AngusJimiKeith]

If you want autonomy, and prefer to work alone or with as small a team as possible, do not study engineering.

Teamwork is huge in engineering. Additionally, you design what is needed, not what you want to.

I'm studying aerospace engineering right now, and it's awesome. Part of what's awesome about it is the team I work with. Autonomy/working individually just don't mesh so well with what engineers do.

EDIT: HOWEVER, I would also add that this forum shouldn't be the final word in such a major life decision for you. Everything you see here is an opinion an may or may not end up being what you personally experience.

Edited August 25, 2014 by AngusJimiKeith

[heril]

Sorry for resurrecting the dead post, but felt the need to clarify a thing with regards to physicists (and speaking as someone studying Chemistry while minoring in Physics).

The idea that physicists are not satisfied with lack of precision is false. The rule is to be as precise with your inputs to the degree you wish to be precise with the result which at times you only care about getting within an order of magnitude or more. This is especially true of when trying to determine if some event or such exists rather than the values of its characteristics which is a huge part of particle physics and other things like that.

If you see this, physics is awesome, it's trying to get at the root of what the universe is and what it's like. There is always the potential of physics experiments/data analysis and discovery in conjunction with working alongside proper aerospace engineers. I'm going for just that except with a heavy flavoring of chemistry.

[tetryds]

You made a point, so this is okay.

[Bill Phil]

A simple litmus test: When calculating something, do you prefer to approximate pi or leave it as pi in your answer?

If you approximate it, go for engineering.

If you leave it as pi, go for physics.

Problem. I do both....

So... Engineer?

[Red Iron Crown]

If you can prefer to do both simultaneously, I suggest political science.

[Bill Phil]

Politics is a black hole. It sucks you in and pulls you apart piece by piece. I detest it completely.

[TythosEternal]

Here are a few desires of mine

-Ability to study ground breaking work, in a professional manner

-Work with smaller groups, or even individually

-Autonomy when it comes to subject of study

One item that isn't a major concern is pay, Ideally I'm payed just enough to live at a comfortable level...

Given the requirements you've listed, it sounds like you will enjoy a career in physics more than engineering--and I'm saying that despite being an engineer.

More to the point, though, I'm worried that you see the decision between the two as such a monumental choice. If you are only now moving on from high school, do your best to go to a science-oriented school that has solid programs in both areas. Most institutes I am familiar with won't force you to make an official declaration right away, so you have a chance to see what both options are really like. This is particularly relevant for such closely-related fields. You can even change your mind, and your degree doesn't necessarily dictate your lifelong career. Engineering firms are full of physics majors, believe me!

That's important for you, because when you are leaving high school, you likely don't yet have a clear grasp of what, exactly, these fields involve. I was torn between physics, computer science, and engineering programs, but it wasn't until I took the common engineering course required for all majors that I finally understood a) exactly what engineering was and what it involved, and that I had always been an engineer and would never be quite aa happy doing anything else.

[Captain Sierra]

@Sykler

1) An internet forum about a game, no matter how intellectually prowessed the community, should not be a final determinant in any life decision.

2) As someone who is enrolled in mechanical engineering, don't go ME. In a few years, there's so many of us in college right now, we'll flood the market and supply > demand =/= job security.

3) Look at the maths and which you like more. Particle physics is going to be a lot of quantum and fringe area math. Very high level, very cutting edge. Fascinating field IMHO. Aerospace is going to be much more grounded in proven calculus (you better know and love calculus). That said, if particle physics is your front door, aerospace is a boeing 747 hangar door. You can go a lot more places with it, anywhere from lockheed's next jet fighter to SpaceX.

Personally, I looked at aerospace and I'd rather go particle physics, though you should take my opinion for what its worth: that of some guy you know as a name and a signature on an internet board about a game you play.

[[email protected]]

Politics is a black hole. It sucks you in and pulls you apart piece by piece. I detest it completely.

Truth...I studied political science, philosophy, criminal justice, and religion...now I am cursed to spend the rest of my life examining how messed up our world is, and how absurdly easy it would be to fix if the entirety of the population were not convinced of the exact opposite of the solution.

Don't go down that road. I'll be going back to school for software development, and I won't be making games about politics...